FNV and CNV announce strikes at pharmacies on Monday

Pharmacy staff will go on strike to get a better collective agreement. It will initially be a regional strike, but a national strike has not been ruled out. The first strike action will take place on Monday afternoon in pharmacies in the Katwijk and Leiden regions.

According to negotiator Albert Spieseke of the CNV trade union, this is the first time pharmacies are striking. Since this week, nationwide punctuality actions have been carried out in pharmacies after an ultimatum expired last Friday for a good employer offer. This means that employees are taking precise breaks and that pharmacies are not opening early without pay or closing late.

Ralph Smeets (FNV) and Marco Dons (CNV) say that pharmacy employees do not feel that their employers are taking their calls for different working conditions seriously. Therefore, there is no other option than to go on strike to meet these needs. "Employees of pharmacies work very hard, but their employers do not want to come up with a decent wage offer and better working conditions. That is why we are going to take action," Smeets states.

According to FNV director Ralph Smeets, the punctuality actions have not helped yet. "So now it is time for phase 2: we are going to strike," says Smeets. "If these regional strikes do not bring any movement to the negotiations, a national strike is a logical next step."